


Act Your Part

by Pey119



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: Actors, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - No Demigods (Percy Jackson), Complete, F/M, Homelessness, M/M, Nico Feels, Nico di Angelo/Will Solace Fluff, Poor Nico, Romeo and Juliet References, Royalty, Trans Male Character, Transgender
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-15
Updated: 2019-06-15
Packaged: 2020-05-12 05:12:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 7,979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19222297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pey119/pseuds/Pey119
Summary: Will couldn't understand why he was falling for Nico until it was too late. There was something about that boy, something about his anger and selfishness. There was something he was hiding from.





	1. Prologue

Will started high school just as everyone else did, with that faint sense that this was it. It might be the best and worst years of his life, but it would lead him somewhere. This was where he needed to be if he wanted the life he had always picked out for himself.

But high school was never what he expected. He didn't expect to find love, he didn't expect to find centuries worth of secrets. And more than anything, he didn't expect to meet Nico di Angelo.

Will first saw Nico di Angelo in Algebra, the boy sitting in the back row with his head resting on his hand. His hair fell around his face, his eyelashes were long and dark. His eyes were darker than the shadows, more full than the moon. Delicate features, almost feminine. His nose and chin were both pointed, his hair curled. He was different than anything Will had ever seen.

And in the end, Nico was alright. He ended up being a good person, once his story had been told. But in the beginning, hidden beneath layers of loathing, Will fell in love with a boy who seemed to hate everyone, and who was hated by everyone. He stuck to himself, let his bad attitude roar. His grades were a permanent zero.

Until drama class, until that play was presented. Until Will Solace saw how much of an actor Nico di Angelo could be. It was his passion, his skill. It was who he was deep inside and out.

And he couldn't escape that. If Will had seen earlier, maybe he could have. But the story ended with this: a girl, a play, a grave. Maybe a crown somewhere in the mix.

And he never saw it coming.


	2. Chapter 1

Will was one of the many teens at his school that went to their classes mostly on fear. Fear of no job, fear of the law. A monarch was a monarch, rules were rules. Punishment was punishment.

Was it a little much? Of course. Was anyone going to say anything about it? Never. And it was mostly okay. Will had planned to go anyways to further his career, his choice always falling between a doctor and an actor. It was broad, his mother always found time to say so. But it was the two things that made him happy.

So he went to school, he did his classes. When the school play came along, he auditioned after weeks of practice.

And he got in.

Romeo and Juliet, such a stereotypical play. But his school still saw it as something they wanted to do each year with new students to hold the parts. Will got Romeo, a part he hadn't been expecting. And Juliet, well... Nico di Angelo. It was an all-boys school, one gender to march the grounds. They could never get any girls to actually sign up to join, either. So a boy was always stuck playing the part, and this year, Nico di Angelo had signed up for the challenge.

Nico di Angelo... Will didn't know much about him except the fact that he was rude, he was careless, he was as messy as his handwriting. He never did his work, never turned a single assignment in. If it was any other country, he would have been kicked out long ago.

He was waiting to turn eighteen, everyone theorized. Then he could drop out. Will had no doubts that this was true.

But why? He never bothered to find out.

"Will." Percy Jackson elbowed Will in the side as the teacher left the room. "Guess what."

Will looked over at him as he let his pencil drop to the desk. "What?"

"Did you hear?" Percy grinned. "Cause of business and stuff, we might be going co-ed. We might be getting girls."

Will groaned. "That's what you're so excited about? It won't even happen until next year."

"And we'll be seniors." Percy reasoned. "And Annabeth might come. She could do all my work for me."

"I still don't see how you two got together."

Nico di Angelo got up from his seat and crossed the room, his thin fingers stained with blood where his nails started. "She's only with you for your money, you know."

Percy turned to face the newcomer with a faithful expression, but Will could tell how worried Percy had been about the topic for months. "You've never met her, so how would you know?"

"It's more of an assumption," Nico admitted. "Based on your personality and what you say. No girl is with you just because of how stupid you are."

"Di Angelo..." Jason Grace groaned from the front row. "They didn't ask you for your opinion."

"They were talking loud enough for us all to hear." Nico justified. He scowled for a minute as all eyes went to him, no doubt uncomfortable with the attention.

_But then why would he make it in the first place_ , Will wondered. _Why would he cause such a disturbance if he wanted to stay on the sidelines?_

_Why was he even there?_

"You all are idiots." Nico headed out of the room despite the class not being over. "Just leave me alone from now on."

Will watched him go with a sick feeling. "Wonder what's always got him in a bad mood."

"He's always been like that." Percy pulled his phone from his pocket. "Ever since I first saw him. He hates everyone."

Nobody seemed to mention that even though Nico hated everyone around him, he hated himself even more.

"He got Juliet in the play." Will looked to Percy. "And I'm Romeo."

Percy chuckled to himself. "Good luck with that, Will. You're gonna need it. There's no way that kid is ever kissing you. If anything, he'll kick you in the balls if you tried."

Will didn't doubt it for a minute. As he went about his day, all he could think about was Nico di Angelo and what was to come. Fear hid a feeling Will didn't dare admit, not even to himself.

Play practice made them stay over in the auditorium. Will eyed Nico as he started, eyed those black eyes and that bottomless soul. What had those eyes seen? What had created a boy so hateful?

He turned away. He didn't see Nico staring back.

Will started walking home after practice with his bag slung over his shoulder, his eyes on the leaves as they blew across his path. Fall had always been his favorite season. He didn't even notice he wasn't alone until Nico pushed passed him, causing him to stumble and almost fall.

"Stop strolling," Nico commanded, stopping in his tracks to turn to look at Will. "Not everyone is as carefree as you. We have places to go."

"Yeah, sorry." Will rubbed his arm where Nico had probably created a bruise. "Um...yeah, sorry. It won't happen again."

Nico rolled his eyes before turning back around, continuing on his way. He didn't look at the leaves. They were crushed beneath his feet.

Will couldn't look away.


	3. Chapter 2

It was two weeks into practice and Will still hadn't spoken to Nico, nor had anyone else, unless it was play related. They learned their lines, they acted their parts. Will didn't come closer to finding out why he was attracted to Nico, nor did Nico come closer to finding a friend.

Will was about to give up on himself and Nico, but then Saturday night hit.

It had gotten colder. The trees were almost naked yet still managed to sway in the breeze. The night was colder than the temperature.

Will found himself walking to the drugstore with a couple dollars stuffed deep into his pocket. They had run out of coffee at home, and its necessity was proved by his willingness to go out and get it that night. He was walking out of the store when he caught sight of Nico di Angelo, saw those eyes that seemed to suck in the darkness of night.

"Nico?" Will walked over to the side of the store and looked down at that thin Juliet. "What are you doing out here?"

Nico jolted in surprise before looking up at Will. The hoodie he wore every school day was once again put into use. His book bag, hidden behind his back, was almost invisible in the shadows.

"Are you okay?" Will asked after seeing that Nico wasn't going to answer his question anytime soon. "You look cold..." He kneeled down next to him, those instincts he had since birth kicking in. They were what fueled him to be a doctor. "Can I help?"

"I'm fine, Solace." Nico's lips were turning blue. "Just go back to wherever you came from."

"Why don't you come with me?" Will offered. "I doubt you'd be out here in the cold if you could help it. You can stay the night at my place."

Nico scowled. "I'm not a charity case."

"I never said you were."

"Then what is this?" Nico asked. "Letting someone stay in your home is charity." He sat up, looked deep into Will's eyes. "I. Don't. Take. Charity. That's not who I am."

"I know that," Will assured him. "And it wasn't going to be charity. I see a friend who needs to come over for a night. So I offered. It's not like you're a stranger off the street. We go to school together."

"Did you...just call me...your friend...?" Nico asked slowly, his eyes wide with shock.

Will flinched, expecting Nico's outburst at any second. "Yeah...?"

Instead of blowing up at Will, instead of bursting out with the "How dare you?!" that Will expected, Nico stumbled to his feet as if they had already frozen and grabbed his bag. His eyes tried to hide the warm emotion fluttering to the surface. "Okay, I'll come with you for tonight. No charity."

Will took a deep breath, having forgotten to breathe for a second too long. "No charity. Just a friend helping the other out. I'd hope you'd do the same for me."

Nico nodded in acceptance. "Where do you live?"

"Not too far." Will stood up and stretched. "This way." He started off, Nico following close behind. "Are you okay?"

Nico scowled. "Why do you have to ask that?"

"I...nevermind..." Will swung the bag of coffee as he walked. "Do you like coffee?"

Nico nodded. "Why?"

"I just bought some. I'll put a pot on when we get there." Will held the bag up for Nico to see. "That's why I was out this late."

Nico's lips twitched. "You went out after midnight to get coffee in the freezing cold?"

Will nodded. "You'll learn that I've got to have my coffee."

"I see..." Nico looked up at the house Will had started to walk up to. "This is where you live?"

Will nodded. "Come on, let's get inside. We don't want to wake my parents."

Nico followed Will into the nice two-story family home. The floors were clean, no messes were in sight. The only imperfections were the cluttered cabinets and the dirty kitchen counters.

"You use your kitchen a lot," Nico commented, watching as Will started the pot of coffee.

"Yeah," Will chuckled. "It's where we live."

Nico rubbed his hands together as he tried to regain feeling in them. "Your parents are asleep?"

Will nodded. "They have work early in the morning."

"Do they know you sneak out to get coffee?" Nico asked. "Because that doesn't sound very safe in this city."

"No, they don't know." Will got two cups out. "It's probably my only act of rebellion, to be honest. What about you? Do anything against your parents?"

Nico's emotions shut down. In an instant, he was back to the troubled boy he was at school. "That's personal, Solace."

"Right..." Will cleared his throat. "Sorry."

"I just don't get why you have to ask those questions," Nico argued. "You have no idea what they'll lead to. Are you that willing to fight?"

"I...I'm sorry...I'll think twice next time." Will looked down at his feet. "I just...was trying to get to know you, is all. As I said...we're friends."

"You shouldn't, try." Nico warned. "I'm not going to let you know anything about me."

Will poured the cups of coffee, his hands shaking. "But...why? What are you fighting so hard to hide?"

"Something that's worth it." Nico took his cup, keeping his hands against it as he regained normal feeling. "Just leave it alone. Please."

"You know you could tell me, right?" Will asked. "You could trust me. I could help."

"This isn't something you could help." Nico downed his coffee despite its steaming contents. "Where can I sleep?"

"My room...I'll lead you." Will started for the staircase. "Bring your bag."

Nico grabbed his bag and followed Will upstairs. Will's bedroom was a decent size, with yellow walls and wooden floors. Will went to the couch that had been put off to the side and flung the cushions off, then pulling the pull-out bed out. "You can sleep on this. We got new couches so this ended up in here."

"Okay..." Nico watched as Will put a few blankets and pillows on it. "Thanks, I guess."

"No problem. It's all yours." Will walked over to his own bed, leaving Nico to lay down. "Do you want the lights off?"

"If it doesn't bother you." Nico laid down and buried himself beneath the blankets.

"I'm gonna go work on the computer, anyways." Will turned the lights off. "It's in the office. I'll be one door over if you need me. Bathroom is across the hall."

Nico nodded, his worn bones relaxing. "Thank you, Will."

Will stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him. It was the night that changed how he felt about Nico, the night that fixated his eyes on fate. There was something about that boy he needed to figure out, needed to solve.

Nico had been kind, at some points. Nothing like at school. He had let that guard down for mere moments, and in them, Will saw a Nico who so desperately feared for his wellbeing.

But why?


	4. Chapter 3

The next morning Will woke up to the pull-out bed back in its usual couch form, the blankets folded nicely and stacked on top. Nico was gone along with the bag he had brought with him. No other signs that the boy had been there existed.

"He really didn't want to be here." Will sat back onto his bed in defeat. He could smell that he was in desperate need of a shower, his teeth also needing to be brushed after the late night cups of coffee.

As he went to the bathroom to get everything done, he couldn't help but imagine Nico the night before. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the way those lips had turned blue and how his skin had been cold to the touch. Why had he been out there so late?

His phone had no notifications. As he walked to school, no heads were turned at his sight.

Will could count Percy as a friend, but their only conversations took place inside the classroom. Jason Grace and Leo Valdez remained the same. The only one he had spoken to outside school had been Nico di Angelo, ironically, though he was the one Will knew the least about.

School started like usual. Nico was in his classes but didn't so much as look Will's way. The day came and went, and once again Will found himself at practice.

It was then that Nico finally looked to Will. He walked over during a break with his hands deep in his hoodie's pockets. He looked more rested than he had in months. "Thank you, for letting me stay last night." Even in gratitude, he hid behind his walls.

"It's no problem," Will assured him. "I had the room. And we're friends, remember?"

Nico's lips twitched. "Yeah... Um, so...yeah, that's all I had to say."

He was about to walk off when Will spoke up. "Do you need to again tonight?"

Nico spent a minute standing there with his hair in his face before nodding. His voice was small and timid, something that usually didn't come out of Nico di Angelo's mouth. "Yeah, if it's not too much trouble."

"It's no trouble at all." Will smiled. "Just walk home with me after practice, okay?"

Nico nodded. "Okay."

Their break was soon over, throwing them back into practice without a missing minute. The auditorium didn't seem cold anymore. The words Will spoke never seemed to come easy. His eyes always froze when he saw Nico, his breathing always failed.

But he did as he was told, he acted his part in every way he knew how. Nico did the same. They weren't Nico and Will again until after practice, until Romeo and Juliet were shut out and away.

"You ready?" Will walked over to Nico with his own book bag slung over his shoulder. "We can head to my place, now."

Nico cracked his neck before looking to him. "Yeah, whatever you want."

"You can have an input, you know," Will told him as they started to walk out. "You're a friend, remember?"

"It's your house," Nico replied bitterly. "Even if I'm a friend, you're letting me stay when you really didn't have to. I'm not paying mortgage, I'm not paying rent, I'm not paying any of the bills, and I'm not related to anyone there. So, no, I don't have an input. I have no right to an input."

Will shook his head. "You have every right to an input. Whether it's followed or not, that's up to me. You can input to burn the house down but I can say no. You can input to have lasagna for dinner, I can say yes. That's how it goes."

"Lasagna?" Nico's expression changed faster than Will had ever seen it. "We're having lasagna?"

"Um...it was just an example." Will smiled. "Why, do you want lasagna?"

Nico quickly looked away. "It's just...a very good...choice, is all, if you were to choose it."

"I choose it." Will decided. "Let's drop our bags off and then head to the store."

"Really?" Nico squeaked. "You're listening to me just like that?"

"I haven't had it in a while," Will explained. "And, yeah, you look like you really want it. Why not? We had to make something for dinner. My parents will appreciate it being done when they get home so they don't have to cook."

"What time do they get home?" Nico asked. "Late?"

Will nodded. "Around eight. They're hard workers. It's all they ever really do."

They walked up to the front door. Nico watched as Will unlocked it, the key having been hanging from his neck. "Do you ever really see them?"

Will shook his head as he slipped the key back onto the necklace he wore. "Maybe once a week."

Nico followed him into the house. "That sucks. I...I've been there."

Will froze at the piece of information. "You have?"

Nico dropped his bag off in Will's room after watching him do the same. "Yeah... Let's get to the store already."

Will grabbed his wallet. "You don't have to change the subject if you don't want to talk about it. Just tell me if that's the case."

"Fine." Nico followed him out. "I don't want to talk about it."

"And you don't have to," Will assured him. "So, do you know how to make lasagna?"

Nico shook his head. "Do you?"

Will nodded. "I'm always in charge of dinner so I had to learn how to cook what I like. And I really like lasagna."

"When did you start?" Nico asked. "Cooking, I mean."

Will shrugged. "Um...I'm not sure. Nine? Maybe ten? As soon as I was old enough to reach the stove, I think."

They got to the store before the cold could settle into their bones. Will's house was in a convenient location, near what was needed and far from what was not. Will grabbed a cart and led Nico down the aisles, telling him what to grab off the shelves.

"What kind of pop?" Will asked as he stared at the display. "It's Friday night. Might as well have fun."

"Pop equals fun?" Nico asked. "Since when?"

"Since I first tasted it." Will gestured to the display. "Get a 2-liter. I don't care what kind."

Nico grabbed a Pepsi and put it in the cart. "You're weird, Will."

"I could say the same about you." Will started walking again. "We need cheese, next. Keep an eye out."

A feeling of peace had settled over him without him even realizing. Walking through that story, joking with Nico, it felt like he was with a friend of many years or even a family member. It was hard to even imagine Nico how he was only a couple days previous.

Will watched Nico as he walked ahead, noticed how skinny the boy was. How many nights did he usually spend on the streets? When was the last time he had eaten?

Maybe there really was something important enough for Nico to hide.

They finished shopping soon with enough items to make dinner and some extra, which Will insisted on so they could snack during the night. As he paid, he noticed Nico's eyes on the price of each item as it rang up.

"Help me carry the bags?" Will asked after he was finished paying.

They filled their arms with the bags before walking back to Will's house. Nico had once again grown quiet, his eyes on the concrete as he walked. His hair hid his emotions.

"I get it," Will mumbled. "I get that you don't want to accidentally let something slip. But...But you should try to enjoy yourself, enjoy your life. And if you...want to talk...I'm here to listen. No matter how bad the secret is."

"You have no idea what you're trying to get in to," Nico swore.

Will nodded in acceptance. "I probably don't. But I'm leaving that offer open and I'm hoping you take it. I want to help."

"Why?" Nico asked. "Why are you so intent on helping me? You could have just left me on that cold street and continued on with your life."

"I could have, but I would have never forgiven myself." Will once again unlocked the front door before leading Nico inside. "It's something in me. I just...I need to help people, you know?"

"No, I don't know." Nico set the bags down in the kitchen. "If it had been me, I would have kept walking. I wouldn't have risked someone pulling me down with them."

"Pulling you down with them?" Will looked over at Nico. "You think you're going to pull me down with you?"

Nico nodded. "I'm a lot more messed up than you think."

"And yet I'm still here, offering my support." Will started to unpack the bags. "So, whenever you're ready, I'll listen."

"I'm...I'm not ready. Not yet."

"Then come help me make dinner." Will offered. "I'll tell you what to do."


	5. Chapter 4

Will and Nico sat on the pull out bed as they ate, watching the small TV Will had in his room. The lasagna had come out well, them both on their seconds. Cups of pop sat on the floor next to them.

"Can I ask you a question?" Will asked.

Nico shrugged. "Depends on what it is."

"Why'd you join the play?" Will wondered. "I mean, you don't seem like the type."

"Neither do you," Nico admitted.

Will cleared his throat. "Yeah, well, I've gotten that a lot. Especially from my parents. But I joined because I actually like acting. It's just...it's nice being able to live as someone else."

Nico played with his fork. "I joined because it'd teach me how to act well."

Will looked over to take in Nico's stone-cold expression. His eyes were darker than usual. Yet something about them seemed so familiar...

"What are you staring at?" Nico asked.

"I...I like your eyes." Will blurted. His cheeks felt on fire.

Nico's eyebrows twitched along with his lips as he decided on how to respond. The wind rattled the windows as he opened his mouth. "Thanks...?"

Will stood up. "I'm going to take my plate down. Do you want anything while I'm down there?"

Nico shook his head in response. His face hadn't relaxed since Will's statement of...what? What could he call what he did? Friends didn't just do that. He couldn't have just said that.

But he did.

Will took his plate down to the kitchen and washed it in the sink. The soap smelled too much like lemons. All he could think about was what he had done, what he had said. He had commented on those eyes...

He dried and put the plate away before making his way back to his room. As he walked, the stairs creaked beneath him and his feet hurt more than usual.

Nico had covered with the blankets and turned on his side, facing the wall so Will couldn't see his face. His body was still seen shivering, something Will had noticed never stopped.

"Are you cold?" Will whispered, keeping his voice down incase Nico has somehow already managed to fall asleep.

"I'm always cold." Nico kept his eyes on the wall. "Always."

"I can get you more blankets," Will offered. "And I can turn the heat up."

"You can if you want but it won't do much." Nico closed his raw eyes, red streaks having started through the white. "It never does."

Will covered him with two more blankets anyways before turning the TV off. "Try to get some sleep."

Nico made a noise before covering his head with the blankets, leaving Will with no other options to try and figure out his thoughts or emotions.

He went to bed but never stopped thinking. The shadows in his room never stopped moving. They seemed to shadow Nico along with his secrets.

In the morning, Nico was gone.

The sun seemed to be too pale in the morning sky, barely making its way through the clouds. Snow fell in a sort of early morning peace. It was a Saturday out of a picture book, but crayons nor digital art could account for the feelings it presented in Will's heart. Just when he thought everything was going good, life reminded him that there would always be something to hate or worry about.

He got up, got dressed, brushed his teeth. His medical book was cracked open. At noon Romeo took over as he read his lines. Juliet never showed up.

It wasn't until Sunday that he saw Nico again. Will was on his way to the store when the boy passed him, having been running full speed. Nico tripped on his old shoes and fell to the ground, but Will caught him before his skin could scrape the concrete. "Nico? What are you running from?"

Nico's eyes were wide with an instinctual fear. His hands shook as he pulled Will along, running from the street and running from the eyes of the public. "We need to hide!"

Will ran along behind him but kept looking back. He didn't see anyone in pursuit. "From what?"

Nico didn't answer nor did he stop running. It wasn't until he got to Will's house and burst through the door did he finally breathe, and then he busied himself with locking it and covering all the windows.

"Nico, tell me what's happening." Will internally debated how he had left the door unlocked. "What's wrong?"

"They saw me," Nico whispered, his voice shaking as much as his hands. "They saw me. I think they recognize me."

"Who?" Will went over to Nico and took his hands to keep them still. "Look at me before you give yourself a heart attack. You need to tell me and I won't take no for an answer. This isn't just anxiety about grades or school. You're actually worried for your life and I need to help you."

Nico looked into Will's eyes, looked out from the cage he had built around himself. "They saw me."

"Who?"

"The guards." Nico took his hands back and ran them through his hair as he paced. "The royal guards. They saw me."

Will froze. "What do they want with you?"

"I can't let them find me!" Nico ran to the kitchen and slipped beneath a counter, unseen from any windows or doors. "They'll take me, Will!"

Panic. Hysteria. The instinctual urge to fight or flee. As it raced through Nico, all Will could do was watch as his own urge grew. His urge to protect.

Ten minutes went by, then twenty. The only sound in the house was the ragged breathing of the two teenagers. No one knocked at the door, no one called their phones. Finally, Will moved and sat beside Nico. "You're in the clear."

"You're sure?" his skeleton-like fingers wrapped themselves around Will's wrist.

"I'm sure." Will didn't take his eyes off Nico. "Why are they after you? What did you do?"

Nico never stopped shaking. Will could imagine him with a gun to his head. "I...Will, I... They want me..."

"Are you going to tell me why?"

"...yeah..."


	6. Chapter 5

It was seventeen years before Will met Nico that the later was born. The hospital room was surrounded by royal guards. In the bed, the queen held her child close to her chest.

Hades had been king for at least ten years by that point. He looked at his daughter and decided that she would be queen after him.

Years went by. The daughter grew but lost her happiness. The queen died from a sickness that had never been fully diagnosed. She took from the world whatever happiness her daughter had left.

Yet still, she grew. She was twelve when she finally admitted to herself that she was a boy inside. Her father swore that she would never change if she was under his roof.

So she left.

The doctor that helped her change kept her secret well. She turned into Nico, she turned into him. The surgeries went by and the supplements were taken continuously. As Nico aged some more, he finally felt at home with his body and the world.

But the guards kept looking for the lost princess. The king kept yearning for his lost child.

The princess was no longer a princess. The new prince feared the castle and everything it stood for. He hid in the snowy streets and the small alleys.

Bones too small. Skin too pale. Hair as dirty as his fingernails. Heart too small for hope.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The wind was blowing against the windows by the time Nico finished his story. His voice had risen to be heard, yet it still remained quiet to Will's ears. His hands never stopped gripping Will's arm.

When the words died in his throat and the story had finished, his eyes stared ahead with a hint of death where his hope should lay. He didn't speak about anything else.

Will himself sat in a state of shock after hearing what Nico had told him. No wonder Nico had always been so terrified, no wonder he never wanted to let anyone in. One mistake and he'd be taken back to the place he had barely escaped.

"Nico..." he swallowed thickly. "I... Thank you for telling me."

Nico pulled his knees to his chest before burying his head in them. "Are you going to turn me in?"

"What?" Will looked over in confusion. "Why would I do that?"

Nico's voice was muffled as he buried his head even deeper in his knees. "The reward money."

Will blinked a few times before chuckling. "You think I'd turn you in for money?"

Nico nodded.

Will wrapped an arm around Nico's shoulders, making the smaller boy jump slightly in shock. "We're friends, Nico. Remember?"

Nico leaned his head on Will's shoulder. He wiped his eyes. "Thank you."

"No need to thank me." Will leaned his own head on Nico's. "We're friends. Friends do these things for one another."

"You use that excuse a lot." Nico wiped his eyes again.

"Friends are important to me," he replied. "They always have been. So you'll just have to get used to that."

"I don't mind that," Nico whispered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Will laid on his bed and watched as Nico dried his hair with a towel. His bare chest sent shivers down Will's spine.

"I forgot how good showers feel." Nico had looked comfortable with Will ever since he had explained what happened. The sweatpants Will loaned him hung off his skinny frame.

"Did it calm you down?" Will asked.

Nico nodded as he took the towel from his head. "The warmth is nice."

Will thought back to how Nico explained living on the streets, could barely picture how cold it must have been.

"Where do I put this?" Nico held the towel up.

"Bathroom is fine." Will didn't take his eyes off of him. "I'll wash it later."

Nico tossed it back into the bathroom before sitting on the pull-out. He laid back, his hands behind his head as he breathed out, long and slow. Faint scars were visible on his chest.

"What are you staring at?" he finally asked, glancing over toward Will.

"N...Nothing!" Will stammered. "I was just...I, uh...I was just thinking about how good you look."

Nico raised an eyebrow.

"That's not what I meant!" Will stood up as he felt his face turn red. "I meant...I meant that...that you look how you've always wanted to look..."

"You mean I look like a guy?" Nico asked.

Will nodded. "I...I'm sorry if that's straightforward and inappropriate... I just...I don't know..."

Nico looked down at his bare chest. "Yeah, okay."

"I'm sorry." Will apologized. "I didn't want to bring it up. You don't deserve to keep getting reminded of it. I just...I don't know. I couldn't stop staring. And it wasn't because you used to be a girl. It's because of how you look."

"How I look?" Nico's face was expressionless.

"You...you..." Will stuttered. "You're hot. I...Damn, I said that, didn't I? I...I don't know what I'm trying to say, Nico. You make me nervous. A good nervous, I think. It wasn't bad until we talked downstairs and you took your shirt off and...and..."

The dam that kept Nico's feelings locked away broke with Will's words. His pale skin turned a nice shade of pink, the hue spreading over his cheeks and down his neck. His ears got the worst of it. "William Solace."

"I'm sorry!" Will exclaimed. "I'm really sorry. Please don't run off."

"I'm not going to run off." Nico stood from the bed. "Why do you always think that?"

"You used to skip when I even tried to get close." Will tried to explain, watching as Nico walked closer. "You were scared I was going to find out about your secrets. I know, I know you told me. I still worry you're going to leave, though. You're-"

Nico grabbed Will's checks, standing on his tiptoes while pulling Will's head down to meet his own. Their lips touched in a hymn of soft pleasure, in sensitive release. The blood from his chapped lips flavored Will's own. Will's chapstick sent Nico searching for more.


	7. Chapter 6

The pale sun once again regained its brightness the morning after their first kiss, their first passionate moment, their first night together. It shown through the cracks in the blinds, created a pattern on the carpeted floor. It woke Will up when it decided to land in his eyes. Brilliant rays, powerful brightness. It always greeted Will in the mornings.

"Nico, we have school." Will rolled over onto his back with a groan of pain. The cold air stung his bruised lips.

Nico didn't so much as move an inch.

"Niiicoooo." Will laid his head on Nico's chest and listened to him breathe for a minute. The smaller boy was beautiful, was handsome, was everything Will had ever been missing. Just his presence sent Will into a state of pure bliss.

He laid there in his lover's aura until his alarm sprang to life. The shocking noise split the silent air and sent both boys to their feet.

"What is it?!" Nico stumbled around before falling to his knees, a blanket twisted around his bare legs. "Hell-"

Will turned the alarm off before kneeling beside the younger boy. "It's school time, Neeks." The nickname came too quickly to his tongue.

Nico rubbed his head. "Already?"

Will nodded. "And we both need a shower."

Nico raised an eyebrow. "Together?"

Will's face turned dark red. "I...If you want."

Nico chuckled as he stretched. "You're adorable, you know."

Wil couldn't pull his eyes away from Nico's bare torso. "So are you."

~~~~~~~~~

They walked to school with a coffee in each of their hands. The walk was mostly silent save for Nico's breathing, heavy and rigid as it usually was. His chest always moved too quickly.

Will reached out with his free hand to take a hold of Nico's, sighing in relief when the other boy didn't pull away. The morning was suddenly so much better.

"Practice after school?" Nico asked.

Will nodded as a breeze ripped through his damp hair. "Romeo, here I come."

Nico wrinkled his nose. "I hate Juliet."

Will's smile dropped. "Why don't you drop the play?"

"Learning to act has helped me." Nico explained. "It's kept me alive. It's kept people from knowing my origins."

Will looked up at the looming building as they got close to its base. "You don't have to anymore, Nico. At least not with me."

Nico glanced up into Will's eyes before looking away. "Time for class."

"Huh? Oh, yeah." Will kissed the top of Nico's head. "I'll see you later."

Nico blushed as he started off toward the hallway, leaving Will behind in a flurry of flirtation.

~~~~~~~~

Nico walked into third period with his old attitude back and just as strong. With a permanent scowl on his pale face, he walked to his seat without looking at anyone else in the room.

"Niiicoooo," Will groaned. "Why so pouty?"

Jason frowned at the thought of the recent arguments of the room. "Solace, please don't start-"

"Because I'm in school." Nico cut in, making Jason sigh in hopelessness. "This place is Hell."

"The place or state?"

"Both."

"Well we know that." Percy sat back with his hands behind his head. "At least we can agree with di Angelo about something."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Nico asked. "You have something to say to me?"

Will stood up. He looked down at Percy, felt his anger bubble up. "Do you have something to say to him?"

Percy froze. "Uh...no?"

"Good." Will plopped back down into his seat. "I hate fights."

"Then why were you ready to beat his brains in?" Nico asked.

"Because he was gonna make fun of you." Will replied as the bell rang, signaling the start of class as the teacher walked in. He looked back to his work, felt the eyes of his classmates on him. Yet all he cared about was the dark eyes in the back.

~~~~~~~~~

"Romeo, Romeo, where the fuck are you, Romeo?"

"Nico!"

"Fine. Romeo, Romeo, where the hell you at, Romeo?"

"Not any better, Nico. "

~~~~~~~~~

"Detention? Well, I'm not surprised." Will shook his head with an amused smile. "How much did you get yelled at?"

"A lot," Nico admitted. "Then they grilled me about why I have no home phone. They wanted to call my parents."

Will chuckled. "That's a goal they'll never reach."

Nico coughed into his fist as a laugh took over his body. After it had stopped, he wiped his fist on his pants. "What's for dinner?"

Will wrapped an arm around his boyfriend's shoulders. "I was thinking lasagna."

Nico grinned as another cough bursted into the sharp air. "Awesome."


	8. Chapter 7

The days turned into weeks. During the dark nights, Will laid in his bed with his eyes on the ceiling. _You know you're in love when reality is finally better than your dreams._ He fell asleep and dreamed of Nico's dark hair.

The days were even better. Kisses, conversations, hand-holding. Will fell more in love with each glimpse of his boyfriend.

_Will started high school just as everyone else did, with that faint sense that this was it. It might be the best and worst years of his life, but it would lead him somewhere. This was where he needed to be if he wanted the life he had always picked out for himself._

_But high school was never what he expected. He didn't expect to find love, he didn't expect to find centuries worth of secrets. And more than anything, he didn't expect to meet Nico di Angelo._

_And he couldn't escape that. If Will had seen earlier, maybe he could have. But the story ended with this: a girl, a play, a grave. Maybe a crown somewhere in the mix._

_And he never saw it coming._

_But it did._

~~~~~~~~~

Nico coughed into his hand as he made his way down the street with Will. His pale skin was speckled with red spots.

"Are you excited?" Will asked, oblivious to Nico's mess. "I am."

Nico wiped his hand on his dark jacket. "Very. Where are you taking me?"

"You'll see when we get there. It's a surprise." Will eyed the Starbucks across the street. "Want to get a coffee?"

Nico pulled Will in that direction. "Carmel frappe with-"

"Extra whipped cream," Will finished. "I know."

Nico smiled as they stepped into the warm interior. "Just reminding you."

Will pulled his wallet out as they got in line. "So...have you ever been on a date before?"

Nico shook his head. "What about you?"

"Nope." Will ordered their coffees before looking to Nico. "That's why I'm excited to take you on one."

Nico watched Will pay before eyeing the coffee as it was made. "So...where are you taking me?"

"Again, it's a surprise." Will wrapped an arm around Nico's shoulders. "But you'll love it."

"Will I?"

Will kissed his forehead. "Yes, now calm down." He got their coffees. "Here, take yours. We can't go in with them."

"Ah, so that's a hint." Nico kept his coffee close as they walked out of the Starbucks. "And I'm still very confused."

Will chuckled as he relented. "Fine, fine, I'll give you more hints. What's your favorite thing besides coffee and lasagna?"

"Uh...history? Death?"

" _History_ ," Will shook his head in exasperation. "Stop with the death, it's so morbid."

"So is most of history," Nico argued.

Will rolled his eyes. "Okay, back to the conversation. I thought we could go to the museum downtown. "

Nico's eyes lit up. "Seriously?"

Will nodded. "So drink the coffee on the way."

The straw quickly returned to Nico's mouth as they walked down the streets he once called home. Another cough echoed out of his lungs, caused his coffee to taste more like iron that carmel.

~~~~~~~~

"So that's my dad." Nico whispered, leaning against Will as they gazed at the old painting. "When he was my age."

Will's eyes flashed over that troubled face. "He looks like you."

"I know."

"Does that upset you?"

"I'm not sure."

~~~~~~~~~

Another week went by. Suddenly it was dress rehearsal, suddenly Nico's angelic face was plastered with makeup and face pleasantries that made him and his boyfriend want to puke. When they went home, Will sat by the tub and washed every ounce of it off Nico's face. The mascara stuck to his eyelashes.

"You're handsome," Will reminded him with a kiss on the forehead. "Let's get in bed and cuddle. After this weekend, no more Juliet."

Nico's dark eyes stared at the bath water. "No more Juliet."

"Come on," Will coaxed. "Get out of the tub." He watched his boyfriend crawl out before wrapping a towel around his boney shoulders. "There."

"Will?" Nico's eyes were darker than usual. The bags underneath almost matched the pits of hell. "I...I love you."

Will ran a hand through Nico's hair, didn't look away from those eyes when another cough shook his love. "I love you too."

"We can cuddle?" Nico asked. "You're so warm and I'm fucking freezing..."

"We can cuddle." Will assured. "Let's get you dressed, first. Then you can forget about today, okay?"

Nico nodded, his eyes dull and unmoving as Will dressed him. He never expected dress rehearsal to stir so many flashbacks, yet there it was to haunt him.

"Two more days," Will led him to bed.

Nico covered himself with the blankets, buried his head in Will's chest. "Two more days..."


	9. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That little thing in italics that starts with "Maybe we're..." is taken from a tumblr post it isn't mine.

The play started and ended just as their relationship would. First meeting in public, instant attraction. A relationship ending in death.

The audience loved it. The lights were too bright.

During the last show, Nico's chest rose and fell with each short gasp of breath. His words were forced, his coughs were real. When Juliet finally died and he laid there, his agony continued on as he tried to look as if those breaths never came.

It was when the curtain finally closed did he stop breathing. No one noticed until Will went to go ask his boyfriend why he wasn't getting up.

Nico's name was raw in his throat. The sirens never seemed so loud. They pounded into his chest and took over his heartbeat.

_Maybe we're supposed to meet the wrong people._

_Maybe we're not meant to be._

_Maybe we're satellites._

_Maybe we are the lucky ones._

_Maybe we're friends maybe we're more._

_Maybe we are all cabinets of wonders._

_Maybe we are meant to meet the wrong people._

_Maybe we're each other's soulmates._

The hospital was cold and unknown. The walls were too white. The ones around Will seemed to be just as unstable as him.

Maybe he was supposed to fall in love, maybe he wasn't. Maybe one of them had to die for the other to live.

The doctor came out with a gown stained with blood. His tired eyes hid no lies. Before any words left his mouth, Will knew that his Nico was dead.

Sobs. Screams. Begs and pleas. He never stopped begging.

Maybe sickness picked and chose. Maybe Heaven had made room. Maybe God wanted another angel.

Whatever the case, no matter why and how, Will lost the only one he cared about. He lost...no, it couldn't be true...he couldn't be gone...he couldn't...

His mother came to see what was wrong. His father had to carry him out, kicking and screaming, begging to see Nico once more. Royal guards had surrounded the room.

His bed was empty and cold. His sheets smelled like the dead. Pillows didn't fit where Nico once did.

It was only love, that is all... Why did it hurt so bad? Yesterday it had felt so amazing...

The night air was cold and chilly when he snuck out. He walked to the hospital, had forgotten his shoes. The rain soaked through his socks.

They finally let him see him then, after the body had grown cold and stiff. He spent an hour getting all of that makeup off. It was then did Nico finally look dead, then that the body finally looked like Nico. He laid with the corpse until he was carried out.

Maybe they were supposed to end. Maybe they were half Romeo, Juliet. Maybe their love ended in a disastrous way in hopes to teach others. Maybe it was all for nothing.


End file.
